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PA Ed Policy Roundup for May 27, 2020
Blogger note: This is the work in process budget that to the
best of my knowledge, was passed by the House 103-99 last evening. It is
expected to be passed by the Senate this week. Education budget lines are
listed on pages 5 & 6.
Just a few observations/comments:
·
Both
the Basic Education and Special Education Funding lines are flat funded. That
indicates that there will be no progress on funding the state’s Fair Funding
Formula which only applies to new money.
·
This
budget provides for a $74 million increase in the state’s share of PSERs
funding; school districts will have a corresponding PSERs obligation.
·
The
budget shows a $94 million cut in pupil transportation.
·
The
budget shows a $178 million cut in Early Intervention.
·
Because
of COVID closures, casino revenue was down $300 million, so the property tax
and rent rebate program will be underfunded.
·
School
districts continue to grapple with uncertain but anticipated additional expenses
associated with reopening: the impact of social distancing, transportation,
supplies, etc.
PA 2020-21 Interim Budget State General Fund
Appropriations
PA House Republican Appropriations Committee
- Proposed State Budget tracking run
John Callahan, chief advocacy officer for the Pennsylvania
School Boards Association, said schools were relieved not to see a cut in aid,
given the circumstances. That certainty will help school boards assemble their
budgets as they grapple with how to bring students safely back to school
buildings in August amid fears of the coronavirus, Callahan said.
….Schools are not out of the woods yet: casino shutdowns during
the pandemic will mean a gap of $300 million in taxes on gambling receipts for
schools that must be back-filled, said Rep. Matt Bradford, the ranking Democrat
on the House Appropriations Committee.
Pa. House narrowly passes short-term budget with no tax
increases
Penn Live By Marc
Levy | The Associated Press Posted May 26, 2020
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania state
government began advancing a temporary, no-new-taxes budget plan Tuesday that
maintains current spending levels while budget makers watch to see how badly
coronavirus-related shutdowns damage tax collections and whether the federal
government sends another aid package to states. Officials in the House and
Senate Republican majorities said that they expected to wrap up votes on a
roughly $25.8 billion package this week. The main budget bill squeaked by the
House, 103-99, just hours after it was unveiled Tuesday. Every Democrat and six
Republicans opposed it. Senate votes were expected this week. The $25.8 billion
package would carry full-year money for many public school budget lines, as
well as for state-supported universities, debt service and school pension
obligations. But much of the rest of the state's operating budget lines would
be funded through Nov. 30, the last day of the two-year legislative session,
Senate and House officials said. Many public schools officials breathed a sigh
of relief at the news that they were spared a massive cut in aid amid
projections of a multi-billion dollar shortfall, after taking a hit of more
than 10% in state aid nine years ago during the recession. An early deal on a
budget also avoids a long, drawn-out budget fight between Wolf and the
Republican-controlled Legislature. Such fights have marked two of Wolf's past
five budgets.
PA Capital Star By Stephen Caruso| Elizabeth Hardison May 26,
2020
Like in an old western standoff, masked
lawmakers stared each down across the half-empty benches of the Pennsylvania
House floor Tuesday evening, as the chamber voted on a temporary, $25 billion
budget that aims to buy the state time to triage the economic impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic. The vote was tied, 101-101. While most Republicans had
voted yes, eight of their most conservative colleagues were a no — as was every
House Democrat In the balance was a temporary, $25 billion budget that
authorized five months’ worth of funding for most state agencies, and 12 months
of funding for K-12 and higher education — the result of a deal hammered out
between Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf and GOP leaders in both the House and Senate. Despite
the close call, House Republicans won out Tuesday, and the proposal cleared the
lower chamber before heading to a bipartisan welcome in the Senate. But
the accelerated measure pushes off tough decisions until
a lame duck session after the November election, giving lawmakers more time to
assess the damage to state revenue collections and to await another round of
stimulus cash that many hope may be forthcoming from Congress.
“Under the proposal, lawmakers would freeze funding for the next
five months at current levels for all state programs. The one exception to the
five-month plan: education. Dollars for early childhood and special education,
as well as for public schools and higher education, would be flat-funded
through the end of the next fiscal year. That would guarantee, at least, that
schools — which over the last six years under Wolf have seen funding boosts
every year — will not see cuts in state funding.”
Facing nearly $5 billion shortfall, Pa. lawmakers plan to
pass short-term budget
Inquirer by Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA and Charlotte
Keith, Updated: May 26, 2020-
6:17 PM
Spotlight
PA is an independent, nonpartisan
newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with the
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HARRISBURG — With the true financial fallout
from the coronavirus still unknown, and the prospects for recovery uncertain,
the Pennsylvania legislature is on track this week to approve a temporary,
five-month spending plan that does not raise taxes and keeps funding level for
all state departments. The move comes as a new independent analysis predicts
the state will lose nearly $5 billion in revenue through June of next year,
setting the stage for a larger fight in the fall over how to finish the budget.
Republicans who control both chambers said approving a temporary budget will
allow officials to get a clearer picture of the strain placed on Pennsylvania’s
finances by the state’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. Democrats in
both chambers, as well as Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, have signaled that they
agree with the unorthodox plan to pass the budget in waves, which will allow
the state to meet a July 1 deadline for passing a spending plan while buying
some time to figure out how deeply revenues will be affected. “All of us are
struggling to know exactly what the financial situation is going to look like
over the course of the whole next fiscal year,” Wolf said Tuesday, during the
administration’s daily briefing. “So we are going to do some unusual things.” Jennifer
Kocher, spokesperson for Senate Republicans, said, “We think it’s the
responsible thing to do.” The state House on Tuesday passed the measure,
103-99. It now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
On FRIDAY, MAY 29 at 11:00 a.m. PCCY IS HOSTING A
PHILADELPHIA TEEN TOWN HALL VIA ZOOM.
Congressman Dwight Evans will join State
Lawmakers from Philadelphia to hear from students experiencing firsthand the
impact of COVID-19 pandemic on their education. Please join us for this
virtual TEEN TOWN HALL VIA ZOOM allowing
students a platform to discuss challenges facing their public schools during
COVID-19 shutdown. Decisions on stimulus legislation and budgets are being made
now and all voices matters! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER VIA ZOOM – After
registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about
joining the webinar. You can also CLICK
HERE TO SET A REMINDER TO JOIN LIVE VIA FACEBOOK.
West York school board scraps textbook over climate
change portions
Lindsay C VanAsdalan, York
Dispatch Published 4:09 p.m. ET May 26, 2020 | Updated 6:45 p.m. ET May
26, 2020
The West York Area school board voted
down a textbook May 19 after members said its teaching of climate
change constituted left-wing "indoctrination." The text, "Rubenstein:
The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography, 13th edition,"
is published by Pearson, and it represented an anti-capitalist extension of the
environmental movement, said board member Lynn Kohler. "I believe this
falls into the indoctrination category of pushing a particular political
belief," Kohler said at the board's May 19 action meeting. The book was
slated to be used in the district's advanced placement human geography
course. Climate change and globalization are highly political and not
universally accepted, Kohler said. But there's widespread agreement among
climate scientists that climate change is fact and is either exacerbated or
directly caused by human industrial behavior. NASA regularly studies the
planet's increasingly warming oceans. And, in 2019, a report published by the
U.S. Department of Defense said climate change is among the most pressing
threats to U.S. and global stability. The textbook's adoption was shot
down in a 5-4 vote, with board members Kohler, Todd Gettys, Brandy
Shope, Courtney Dennis and George Margetas voting against it. Jeanne Herman,
Suzanne Smith, Douglas Hoover and Donald Carl voted to approve it. Gettys said
approving it would be an endorsement of its ideas, and both he and Kohler
agreed it could be offered as an independent study. In that case, students
would have to buy their own books, so they would not be funded by taxpayer
money.
The pictures say it all: How South Korean schools are
reopening
Washington Post By Valerie Strauss May
26, 2020 at 1:13 p.m. EDT
South Korea began reopening schools recently
after closing them several months ago to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus during
a worldwide pandemic — and it is employing new social distancing and prevention
measures in an attempt to continue to keep the country’s death rate from
covid-19 remarkably low. In late February, South Korea had more diagnosed
covid-19 patients than any country other than China. A swift and tough program
of contact tracing, isolation and other measures contained the virus. South
Korea reports that fewer than 300 people have died of covid-19. The country has
been slowly reopening schools in the past week, and these pictures show how
some of them are trying to keep students and teachers from contracting the disease.
Planning amidst uncertainty
With few guidelines and plenty of concerns,
officials and advocates prepare for a September like no other.
The notebook by Bill
Hangley Jr. May 26 — 9:05 am, 2020
This is the first article from our May print
edition, focused on educating in a pandemic.
As the nation’s coronavirus outbreak enters
its third month, whether and how Philadelphia’s public schools can re-open in
September remains unknown. But as the national response to the pandemic takes
shape, the nature of the environment in which that decision must be planned and
executed is becoming clearer. At one end: a White House that steadfastly
refuses to set national policy or endorse clear guidelines. At the other:
thousands of Philadelphia public school students whose lives have been
dramatically disrupted, and whose needs in September will be greater than ever.
In between: the full, sprawling array of public, private and nonprofit
entities, each with its own interests and responsibilities, that make up
Pennsylvania’s public education community. In Philadelphia, this group – which
includes city, state and school district officials, as well as advocates,
lawmakers and service providers of all shapes and sizes – is just beginning to
face the question of September. Many of the spring’s most urgent problems are
now being addressed, and officials say they can now start planning for a safe
and effective re-opening – and not a moment too soon. “There’s a lot of
timeline preparation, runway that we need,” said Naomi Wyatt, chief of staff
for the School District of Philadelphia, at the May 14 meeting of the board’s
finance and student achievement committees. “We’re feeling the pressure …. if we’re
allowed to open but we can only have 15 students in a room, what would we need
to plan?” District officials say they’ll be looking to public health officials
when it comes to the big decisions about when to reopen and how to do it
safely.
6,000 Philly educators weighed in on reopening schools in
September with the pandemic still in play. Here’s what they said.
Inquirer by Kristen A. Graham, Updated: May
26, 2020- 6:22 PM
Ahead of a likely in-person September return
to school, more than 6,300 Philadelphia educators weighed in on what reopening
school might look like. School-based staff — who expressed concern about
reopening under any circumstances before a COVID-19 vaccine is developed —
overwhelmingly believe a hybrid model will work best when the 2020-21 school
year opens. Many support a staggered schedule where groups of students return
on various days of the week; most believe the Philadelphia School District must
make provisions for immunocompromised staff and students to work and learn remotely. And while
some teachers think bringing children back into brick-and-mortar locations in
September is of utmost importance, others were less sure. “Teachers WILL die if
schools reopen too early,” one teacher wrote in the Philadelphia Federation
of Teachers survey compiled this month and released
Tuesday. “Students WILL get exposed and potentially [suffer] long-term
consequences of the virus we don’t yet know enough about.” Opening schools amid
COVID-19 will be tricky for schools around the world, but large districts that
educate significant numbers of low-income children face specific hurdles, said
Jerry Jordan, PFT president. “We had challenges before there was a pandemic —
concerns about basic things, like building cleanliness, soap, hand sanitizer.
There has been a shortage of cleaners,” said Jordan. The union sent the survey
to its 13,000 members — including teachers, classroom assistants, nurses,
counselors, and other school workers — to gauge concerns and ideas as school
and city officials plan the eventual return to buildings; 6,325 responded.
20% of teachers probably will not return to classrooms if
schools reopen this fall, poll finds
Inquirer by Valerie Strauss, Washington Post, Updated: May
26, 2020- 5:33 PM
Twenty percent of U.S. teachers say they are
not likely to return to their classrooms this fall if schools reopen - and most
parents and educators believe school buildings will open, according to polls
published Tuesday. The polls - one taken of K-12 teachers and the other of
parents with school-age children - found that 73% of parents and 64% of teachers
said they believe children will eventually make up for learning lost because of
the disruption of school during the crisis. And 63% of parents and 65% of teachers
said they believe school buildings in their areas will reopen this fall. The
findings came in USA Today-Ipsos polls published Tuesday. The newspaper and
Ipsos, a global research and marketing firm, conducted two polls at the same
time from May 18-2 and said that "credibility intervals," which are
similar to margins of error, are plus- or minus-5 percentage points for the
teachers survey and 5.6% for the survey of parents with school-age children. It
is not possible to know how school districts would be affected if 1 in 5
teachers do not show up to reopened schools, because schedules and attendance
expectations will be different in the fall to comply with social distancing
requirements.
Kids need to go to school online. Why isn’t the internet
a public utility?
Philadelphia, home of Comcast, ranks near the
bottom of U.S. cities in internet connectivity.
The notebook Commentary by Devren
Washington May 26 — 8:52 am, 2020
Devren Washington is a senior policy
organizer at Movement Alliance Project. Devren focuses on building power in
marginalized communities to bring equity and inclusion to the people who need
it most. With a focus on digital justice, he uses his experience as a founding
member of the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund and organizer with Black Lives
Matter Philadelphia to organize directly impacted communities around issues
pertaining to technology, surveillance, and internet access.
When the coronavirus landed in Philly, we
at Movement Alliance Project worried
about the health and safety of our communities, especially around the key issue
of connectivity as life moved online. Knowing that Philadelphia has the
second-worst broadband access rate of any big city in the United States,
primarily because of poverty, we moved fast for changes in access. We pushed
Comcast — the biggest internet provider in the nation and our Philadelphia neighbor
— to make their program free, stop turning off service for nonpayment, open
public WiFi and expand data. But after the school district closed and struggled
to offer online education, we saw the dire implications become a grim reality. The
digital divide is a public health crisis, especially in the poorest large city
in the country. Our students, the unemployed, medically vulnerable, non-English
speakers, and undocumented folks need access to the internet to receive vital
information from our local and state governments and to access social services
and community resources. The public utility of the internet is especially clear
now during the pandemic when most of the city’s official communications and
resources are accessible only online. The School District of Philadelphia did
raise funds, with the help of Comcast’s CEO Brian Roberts and
his $5 million donation, to get students laptops. But Comcast not stepping up
to offer more help on connectivity means the district is rushing to purchase
expensive wireless hotspots for
the one in five district students who don’t have broadband access at home. At a
time when the city budget proposal suggests a shocking cut of over $600 million, why is the
district expected to spend millions of dollars for wireless hotspots, while
also attempting to cut a billion dollars from its budget over the next few
years?
Coronavirus pandemic presents unique challenges for
kindergarten education
Trib Live by TEGHAN
SIMONTON | Monday, May
25, 2020 4:50 p.m.
Students of all ages have been adversely
affected by the covid-19 pandemic, but educators say the stakes are especially
high for kindergartners and preschool-aged children. “Imagine being 5 and this
is your world. What will be ‘normal’ to this generation of kindergartners?”
said Michilene Pegher, principal of Minadeo Elementary in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel
Hill neighborhood. In addition to being concerned about the potential long-term
impact of this school year’s extended closure, districts preparing for an
uncertain fall opening are grappling with the challenges of getting children
registered and prepared for kindergarten, a process that is normally done in
person. Lagging sign-up rates are making it difficult to make plans for class
sizes, staffing, room assignments and supplies. Pegher said she has been
encouraging parents to go online to register their children for kindergarten
and distributing packets to help the parents prepare their children, including
simple activities such as pointing out numbers, letters and words on road signs
while driving and reading to children often. But face-to-face interaction at
school is still vital at this stage in a child’s education, Pegher said. If
schools don’t reopen in the fall, Pegher worries about the loss the region’s
youngest learners will experience. She said little lessons such as learning how
to share, line up together or operate on a school schedule play a big role in
children’s development. “The social and emotional part is very important, and
if we don’t go back, I wonder what the long-term effects of that will be,” she
said.
Scranton School District faced with uncertainties amid
coronavirus pandemic
Scranton Times Tribune BY SARAH HOFIUS HALL /
PUBLISHED: MAY 27, 2020
No one knows what the Scranton School
District will look like this fall.
Like educators from around the country,
leaders must deal with evolving safety guidelines and financial uncertainty when
preparing for a hopeful return to in-person classes in three months. “We will plan for the worst and hope for the
best,” Superintendent Melissa McTiernan said during Tuesday night’s virtual
Scranton School Board work session. With schools closed since mid-March due to
the coronavirus pandemic, the district has developed a trauma-informed reentry
plan, which takes into account the emotional well-being of students and staff. “Our
communities, families, staff and students need us now more than ever,” said Charles
Sumner Elementary Principal Meg Duffy, who presented the plan to the board.
“How we approach re-entry says everything about who we are as a school
district.” The plan includes the opportunity for parent engagement,
reintroducing expectations and small group sessions for kids experiencing
difficulties. The loss of normalcy and routine has left some students feeling
isolated and depressed, and experts worry about separation anxiety and other
issues when children eventually return to the classroom. The district also
continues to consider the potential loss in tax revenue due to the pandemic.
The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials estimates the
district could lose $4.7 million in local tax revenue next year. One state
house bill would freeze property taxes for next year — which could derail the
recovery plan. Another bill would extend the property tax discount period for
30 days and eliminate any penalties for six months after the issuance of tax
bills, Business Manager Patrick Laffey said. Just eliminating those penalties
could amount to a nearly $50,000 loss for the district. “Even $50,000 impacts
us,” Chief Recovery Officer Candis Finan, Ed.D., said.
East Penn teachers, administrators take pay freeze to
help district through COVID financial strain
By MICHELLE MERLIN THE MORNING
CALL |MAY 26, 2020 | 10:43 PM
The teachers and administrators in the East
Penn School District opted to take a pay freeze next year to help the district
cope with the financial strain of the coronavirus. District officials for weeks
have been trying to shave about $6 million from next year’s budget. They
anticipate less revenue than
originally expected because of COVID-19-related job losses reducing the amount
of taxes the district will receive. The pay freezes will save the district
about $1.6 million, according to a presentation at a board meeting Tuesday. “We
are incredibly fortunate to be part of an educational community in which our
professional staff as well as our administrators truly have joined us as
partners in education,” said Superintendent Kristen Campbell. “They care about
the quality of the services they offer our students, and equally as important,
they’re committed to preserving those high quality programs through all means
that are available.” The district is looking at other savings, including the
reduction of staff through attrition, the reduction of building and department
budgets, the restructuring of debt and other changes. Part of their plan also
includes reducing the number of clubs at the high and middle schools. Hundreds
of teachers voted last week overwhelmingly to take the pay freeze, said Susan
Arnold, the president of the East Penn Education Association. The move is
expected to save the district about $1.4 million and means teachers will forego
a 1.3% pay increase and step movement (although those who get degrees will
still get a bump). Administrators are also taking a pay freeze, district
officials said at the meeting Tuesday night. Arnold said teachers had to choose
between the freeze and getting rid of programs, which would have allowed the
district to furlough staff. She said the vote shows teachers are committed to
the district’s educational program.
Mahanoy Area holds line on taxes in budget
Hazelton Standard Speaker by FRANK
ANDRUSCAVAGE / PUBLISHED: MAY 27, 2020
MAHANOY CITY — The Mahanoy Area school board
adopted its operating budget for the 2020-21 school year on Thursday, holding
the line on taxes and maintaining all its employees and programs. In a workshop
session prior to the meeting, Jack Hurst, business administrator, said the
total budget for the year is $19,226,823. The tax plan calls for a real estate
tax of 51.3 mills, an occupation tax of $130, a real estate transfer tax of
0.5%, earned income tax, an occupational privilege tax of $5 and an amusement
tax of 5%.
Bristol Township Schools serve about 1,000 meals a day
Meals are available at four district schools
for any child age 18 and younger..
Bristol Township School District Food Service
Department has been serving an average of 1,000 meals per day to students since
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf mandated school closures in March. “Our goal is to
make sure all children have access to healthy food during the closure and meals
are offered to all students,” said Superintendent Melanie Gehrens. Any child
age 18 or younger is eligible for meals, even those who attend private or charter
schools. The meals are provided through the Emergency Meal Plan eligibility
program from the state. Information on the district’s response to the
coronvirus crisis is available on its website at
bristoltwpsd.org. Monday through Friday, cafeteria workers spend about four
hours each day preparing 500 breakfasts and 500 lunches. The administrators,
cafeteria workers, lunch monitors and teachers assist with distribution from 11
a.m. to 1 p.m. at Truman High School, Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School,
Brookwood Elementary School and Keystone Elementary School. School Board
President James Morgan also volunteers every day to distribute meals. The
custodial staff clean and disinfect the buildings each day, and maintenance
workers and bus drivers have also assisted in driving supplies and distributing
meals. “This has really been a team effort to make all of these meals
possible,” said Gehrens. “I am especially proud of the Thursday before spring
break; we served over 5,500 meals to make sure students had food for the
break.” The meals will continue through the end of the school year and possibly
longer if the district sees the need. A decision on summer meal delivery hasn’t
been made as yet, said district spokeswoman Kellie Dietrich. The district has
been following guidelines from the CDC and the Department of Health (DOH) to
keep staff, students and the community safe.
APPS: Eyes on the Philly Board of Education: May
28, 2020
Alliance for Philadelphia Public Schools by
Karel Kilimnik May 26, 2020 appsphilly.net
For years, APPS members urged the SRC to take
a more public role in advocating for Philadelphia’s public school students. We
told them we would help fill the buses for any trip they organized to
Harrisburg. Unfortunately, to no avail. We are happy to say that
the Board of Education has stepped up to become vocal advocates for the
students and families they have been entrusted to represent. The Board
has created a prominent “Fund
Our Schools” page on its website.The website
provides guidance in ten languages for contacting elected officials, including
a template for letters. The message: We cannot repeat the devastation caused by
the massive budget cuts of the past from which we have still not recovered. We
cannot carry out the layoffs and elimination of necessary resources which will
cause untold harm to our students. It will take a village to keep our District
whole as the economic crisis unfolds.
Curmuducation Blog by Peter Greene Friday,
May 22, 2020
So now everyone is freaked out about the CDC
"guidelines" as reported on that blue meme that was going around.
This, of course, was the point-- to sell the idea that public schools will be
like prisons, so everyone should pull their kids out. Because in the spirit of
never letting a crisis go to waste, there are folks from your neighbor with the
tin hat all the way up to the US Secretary of Education who see the pandemic as
one more chance to dismantle public schools. So the blue list was framed,
worded, and occasionally misrepresented in order to create maximum outrage.
Mission accomplished. Let's look instead at the actual CDC guidelines. I won't
lie-- as I pointed out when they were just a few suggestions, they are not
particularly awesome. But let's take a look-- Just how big a challenge do
schools face when it comes to re-opening in the fall? You can see two versions
of the same info, either here on the CDC website, which is
more recent, or here on the leaked document starting on page 47. I'm going
to use the leaked document and try to pick up some details that are on the
website, which is a little more listlike. It's worth noting that the
recommendations are, in fact, phrased as recommendations It's important to
note that the "considerations" are not even phrased as
"recommendations" let alone mandates, and that the phrase "if
feasible" turns up a lot. The CDC is presenting things to consider, not
rules that schools must follow. The whole re-opening America document is
organized around the idea of three phases. One-- school is closed. Two-- Open
with enhanced social distancing. Three-- Open with distancing measures.
“Akbar, a 42-year-old native of Philadelphia, graduated from
J.R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School. He has a bachelor’s degree
in business administration and management from Penn State University. Akbar
worked for 14 years at YouthBuild Philadelphia Charter School in mentoring and
service learning. He is now a senior associate at Grovider, a consulting firm
that supports organizations in developing learning and development strategies. He
also is the lead facilitator of Universal Companies’ BoysToMen program and an
assistant basketball coach at Sankofa Freedom Academy Charter School.”
Philly’s newest school board member has a background
helping young people
By Chanel Hill Special to the Capital-Star May 26,
2020
Chanel Hill is a reporter for the Philadelphia
Tribune, where this story first appeared.
PHILADELPHIA — For
Ameen Akbar, his new role on the Board of Education for the School District of
Philadelphia is an opportunity to continue his work helping young people while
ensuring that they also receive the quality of education they deserve. “Being a
public school student and working with teachers, community members, and
thousands of young people for the last 25 years gave me a unique perspective
into the education system,” said Akbar, who has worked as a mentor, basketball
coach and consultant in developing learning strategies. “I always wanted to
translate those real stories and experiences by contributing to conversations
at the school district level.” Mayor Jim Kenney appointed Akbar to the school
board earlier this month, with City Council’s approval. Akbar was one of 27
candidates nominated by the Educational Nominating Panel. Akbar replaced
departing board member Wayne Walker and will serve a four-year term. “Ameen has
dedicated his career to listening to young people and supporting them to pursue
their full potential,” Kenney said in a written statement.
“Over the past decade, Pennsylvania and local school districts paid more
than $1.3 billion for standardized testing. In particular, the state paid DRC more than $741 million for the
PSSAs, Keystone Exams and CDT tests. Two of three DRC contracts were given
sole source no-bid extensions. Imagine what cash-strapped districts could do with
that money.”
Pennsylvania Wants YOU to Give Standardized Tests to Your
Kids at Home
Gadfly on the Wall Blog by Steven M. Singer May 23, 2020 stevenmsinger
A multi-million dollar corporation wants
to make sure Pennsylvania’s children keep getting standardized tests. Data Recognition Corporation (DRC)
and the state Department of Education are providing the optional Classroom
Diagnostic Tools (CDT) assessments for use in students’ homes. Students
are not required to take the CDT in the Commonwealth unless their district
decides to give it. The test is encouraged by the state as a way of telling how
students will do on the required tests. With this new option, parents finally
can give multiple choice standardized tests to their own children on-line. Which
is kind of hilarious because no one really asked for that. In fact, many parents, teachers and students breathed a sigh of relief
when the requirement that students take high
stakes assessments was waived this year nationwide. With the
Coronavirus pandemic closing most school buildings and students transitioning to on-line classes
created from scratch by their teachers, there
hasn’t been much time for anything else. But the folks at DRC, a division of
CTB McGraw-Hill, have been busy, too. The Minnesota-based corporation sent out an email written
by Matthew Stem, Deputy Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education at the
Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) to district contacts from Pittsburgh
to Philadelphia encouraging the use of this newly available online CDT.
History made: Easton school board approves girls
wrestling program
By TOM HOUSENICK THE MORNING
CALL | MAY 26, 2020 | 8:34 PM
A historic step was taken Tuesday night by a
historic Lehigh Valley wrestling program. Easton Area School Board unanimously
approved the start of a girls wrestling program in the 2020-21 season during
its virtual meeting. “I think it’s awesome that we’re able to be the first to
start this,” rising senior Cameron Nunez said, "to get it rolling for the
Lehigh Valley. Easton is the second Pennsylvania school to approve a girls
wrestling program. J.P. McCaskey in Lancaster was the first in mid-March. The
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, the state’s governing body
for high school athletics, requires a minimum of 100 schools supporting a
program before it will consider sanctioning the sport. There are 22 states that
sanction girls wrestling and 83 colleges with women’s teams. “Easton School
District’s proposal to officially add a girls wrestling program sets a great
example for other schools across the state,” Leah Wright, a media liaison for
Sanction PA, said in a statement.
DeVos to Release Rule Cementing COVID Aid Push for
Private School Students
Education Week By Andrew Ujifusa on May
26, 2020 9:20 AM
The dispute over how much coronavirus aid
private school students should receive intensified over Memorial Day weekend,
following U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' announcement that she would
soon propose a rule to "resolve" the issue. In a May 22
letter to a group representing state education leaders, DeVos announced that
the U.S. Department of Education would issue a proposed rule on the
subject in the next few weeks, and that her department would invite public
comments on the issue. And she reiterated her position that a relief package
passed by Congress in March was designed by lawmakers to benefit all private
school students within local school district boundaries, not just certain
private school students. She said she hoped this process would settle the
disagreement before the start of the next school year. But DeVos also seemed
intent on taking her state counterparts down a peg. In her letter, she took
direct aim at the state leaders' motives as well as their understanding of the
Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Yet in a response
to DeVos the same day, the state chiefs' group's executive director declined to
back down.
Federal Appeals Court Appears Divided on Transgender
Rights in Gavin Grimm Case
Education Week By Mark Walsh on May
26, 2020 3:04 PM
A federal appeals court appeared divided
Tuesday on whether federal law requires a school district to allow a
transgender high school student to use restrooms consistent with his gender
identity. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit,
in Richmond, Va., heard about 45 minutes of online arguments in the
long-running case of Gavin Grimm, who is now a 20-year-old college student but
whose suit asks the Gloucester County, Va., school district to pay nominal
damages and to change his school records to reflect his change in gender
identity. "There was clearly nothing in the record that suggest Congress,
when it enacted [Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972], was thinking of
a transgender person" when it barred discrimination "based on sex,"
said Judge Paul V. Niemeyer. "Isn't this better for Congress to
answer?" At issue is a policy adopted by the Gloucester County school board
in 2014 that limited male and female locker rooms and restrooms to the
"corresponding biological genders" and said students with gender
identity issues would be offered "an alternative appropriate private
facility."
Testing Resistance & Reform News: May 20 -26, 2020
FairTest Submitted by fairtest on May 26,
2020 - 1:27pm
What a week!
- The
University of California Regents voted unanimously to phase out ACT/SAT
admissions test requirements.
- High
school students and their allies sued the College Board for administering
defective, on-line Advanced Placement Exams.
- And,
many states began considering proposals to extend their suspensions of
high-stakes K-12 tests into the next school year.
As news reports demonstrate, FairTest was at
the center of all these major initiatives. You can help make more
assessment reform victories possible by contributing today:
How to watch the SpaceX astronaut launch
Post Gazette by THE NEW YORK TIMES MAY 27,
2020 4:01 AM
On Wednesday, NASA is preparing to send two
of its astronauts to orbit aboard a spacecraft built by SpaceX, the rocket
company founded by Elon Musk. It will be the first time since the retirement of
the space shuttles in July 2011 that NASA astronauts launch from American soil
on an American rocket to the International Space Station. And unlike for
astronaut launches in the past, when NASA ran the show, this time SpaceX will
be in charge of mission control. Here’s what you need to know about the launch.
When is the launch and how can I watch it?
The launch is scheduled to take place at
Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:33 p.m. ET.
NASA will stream the launch live on its
website, YouTube and other platforms, starting at noon.
We’ll also provide a live video stream on
NYTimes.com closer to launch time, and you can join our live briefing for
updates about the mission and answers to more questions.
Adopt the 2020 PSBA resolution for charter school funding
reform
In this legislative session, PSBA has been
leading the charge with the Senate, House of Representatives and the Governor’s
Administration to push for positive charter reform. We’re now asking you to
join the campaign: Adopt the resolution: We’re asking all school
boards to adopt the 2020 resolution for charter school funding reform at your
next board meeting and submit it to your legislators and to PSBA.
Over 230 PA school boards adopt charter reform
resolutions
Charter school funding reform continues to be
a concern as over 230 school boards across the state have adopted a resolution
calling for legislators to enact significant reforms to the Charter School Law
to provide funding relief and ensure all schools are held to the same quality
and ethics standards. Now more than ever, there is a growing momentum from
school officials across the state to call for charter school funding reform.
Legislators are hearing loud and clear that school districts need relief from the
unfair funding system that results in school districts overpaying millions of
dollars to charter schools.
The school boards from the following
districts have adopted resolutions calling for charter funding reform.
Know Your Facts on Funding and Charter Performance. Then
Call for Charter Change!
PSBA Charter Change Website:
The Network for Public Education Action Conference has
been rescheduled to April 24-25, 2021 at the Philadelphia Doubletree Hotel
Any comments contained herein are my comments, alone, and
do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any other person or organization
that I may be affiliated with.
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